Background: The EMCOVID project conducted a multi-centre cohort study to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on patients with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) receiving disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). The study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in MS patients enrolled in the EMCOVID database. The DMTs were used to manage MS by reducing relapses, lesion accumulation, and disability progression. However, concerns arose regarding the susceptibility of pwMS to COVID-19 due to potential interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the immune system, as well as the immunomodulatory effects of DMTs.
Methods: This prospective observational study utilized data from a Multiple Sclerosis and COVID-19 (EMCOVID-19) study. Demographic characteristics, MS history, laboratory data, SARS-CoV-2 serology, and symptoms of COVID-19 were extracted for pwMS receiving any type of DMT. The relationship between demographics, MS phenotype, DMTs, and COVID-19 was evaluated. The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over a 6-month period was also assessed.
Results: The study included 709 pwMS, with 376 patients providing samples at the 6-month follow-up visit. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was higher among pwMS than the general population, with Interferon treatment being significantly associated with greater seroprevalence (16.9% vs. 8.4%; p 0.003). However, no other specific DMT showed a significant association with antibody presence. A total of 32 patients (8.5%) tested positive for IgG, IgM, or IgA antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 at baseline, but then tested negative at 6 months. Most of the pwMS in the cohort were asymptomatic for COVID-19 and, even among symptomatic cases, the prognosis was generally favourable.
Conclusion: pwMS undergoing DMTs exhibited a higher seroprevalence of COVID-19 than the general population. Interferon treatment was associated with a higher seroprevalence, suggesting a more robust humoral response. This study provides valuable insights into the seroprevalence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pwMS and contributes to our understanding of the impact of COVID-19 amongst this population.
Keywords: COVID-19; DMT; Multiple Sclerosis; SARS-CoV-2; seroprevalence.